Chapter 27: Shadows After the Lotus

The world had not stopped turning after the beast tide.

But it had shifted.

The celestial lotus that had bloomed above the town in a blaze of silver moonlight and crimson flame had vanished, but its echoes remained. The spiritual pulse, the divine pressure, the radiant symbol that lingered in the heavens for a brief yet unforgettable moment—all of it had shaken the balance of power in the Tianyuan Continent.

And now, silence reigned. A silence filled not with peace, but with watchfulness.

In the heart of the Tianyuan Empire, the imperial court stood uneasy. The Eastern Province had always been a backwater in the Emperor's eyes, but the reports flooding in from its outer territories were impossible to ignore. A celestial phenomenon, a beast tide crushed in moments, an aura older than the empire itself—these were not the stuff of local legend. These were omens.

Imperial envoys had been dispatched in haste—silent figures cloaked in midnight robes, trained in shadow arts and ancient divination. They had returned weeks later, confused and empty-handed. The town had been scoured, the earth turned, the ruined formations studied. But nothing remained.

No remnants of divine energy.

No trace of a celestial cultivator.

Just ash, and whispers, and the vague dread of something greater having stirred.

In the capital, frustration gave way to fear. The Grand Minister of Rites, one of the few aware of the ancient Nine Heavens Moon Sect from fragmented scrolls, voiced his suspicions. But the rest of the court scoffed. The Nine Heavens Moon Sect was a myth, extinguished thousands of years ago—its teachings lost, its peaks buried under time.

And yet... no one could explain the lotus.

The Royal Dao Academy, charged with studying celestial events, had also launched investigations. Their scouts, disguised as traveling scholars, uncovered only ruins and half-wild survivors. None could sense the lingering trace of divinity. Even their Spirit-Engraved Compasses, attuned to ancient sect energies, spun aimlessly when brought to the town's outskirts.

"The heavens opened, and then closed again," murmured one elder, stroking his long beard. "And whoever passed through... took everything with them."

In the Iron Wind Sect, rage boiled.

They had sent scouts the moment the inheritance pulse flared—before the celestial lotus even bloomed. Those agents had combed every ridge, every stone, interrogated elders, and even traced bloodlines. But they found no inheritor, no tomb, no token. The sect's fury turned inward, questioning whether someone among them had leaked the timing and allowed another faction to steal their prize.

"Someone got there before us," growled Elder Huo, clenching a jade teacup until it shattered. "And they erased their tracks with the precision of a grandmaster."

The Heavenly Jade Pavilion, known for its connection to alchemy and rare herbs, was no less disturbed. They had sensed an extraordinary medicinal aura blooming after the beast tide—one said to align with lost techniques of moonlight condensation and starlight herb refinement. They had moved swiftly, sending apothecary envoys and spiritual herbalists. Yet, every herb-bearing field had withered, every trace of spiritual vegetation gone.

No one had simply taken them. It was as though they had never existed.

But what chilled the Pavilion's elders most was the absence of any trace of the Nine Heavens Moon Sect. Despite rumors that the inheritance pulse had matched their ancient frequency, there was no monument, no emblem, no confirming sigil. Only the celestial lotus, described differently by every witness.

And that was no coincidence.

Further west, in the secretive depths of the Abyssal Void Sect, the Seers of Black Glass stirred uneasily. Their obsidian mirrors had pulsed with unfamiliar power the night of the lotus bloom. One by one, their visions began aligning: a Child of Fate, born of flame and moonlight, would awaken beneath the collapsing heavens.

Yet every attempt to scry his face ended in blindness.

Some among the Abyssal Void believed he had already begun moving—gathering strength, preparing to raise an ancient banner beneath the stars. Others whispered that he had stolen something meant for their sect, and their next steps must be war.

And through all this, rumors ran wild—like wildfire through the cultivator world.

A forgotten sect returned.

A phoenix seen in the skies.

A child with silver flames in his eyes.

Even the Demonic Cults in the far Northern Wastes had taken note. A figure had appeared in their divinations—shrouded in mist, shadowed by stars.

Far above it all, across the skies between provinces, an unseen silver crescent drifted slowly westward.

Powered by rich spirit stones and guided by celestial charts inherited from the Nine Heavens Moon Sect, it glided through the skies with purpose. Defensive barriers shimmered faintly along its hull—arrayed in layers that could ward off tracking talismans, spirit beasts, and even the prying senses of Nascent Soul cultivators. Wrapped in the Sect Veil Technique, it was as if the boat had become part of the sky itself.

Within its spacious interior, a sense of calm settled.

Li Zheng and Lady Mei sat near the rear chamber, gazing out into the endless blue. Lady Mei occasionally glanced at her son with eyes filled with pride and restrained emotion, as though she still couldn't believe he had returned—stronger than ever.

Li Xioran was busy guiding the four rescued children in basic breathing techniques, her voice gentle yet firm. Each child had a different affinity—one leaned toward fire, another wood, and one, surprisingly, had faint traces of a water-natured spiritual root. Their eyes, once filled with fear, now shimmered with hope.

Yuan Fei practiced sword forms in silence on the upper deck, his blade sweeping moonlight arcs through the air. Though still at the 5th-stage of Qi Refinement, he radiated the poise of a true cultivator—disciplined, focused.

The Starling Phoenix companion perched near the prow, feathers glowing faintly as it scanned the skies for threats. It was alert, but relaxed—aware that no eyes could see them unless Li Xuan allowed it.

Inside the cultivation chamber, the mysterious girl—Yue—sat cross-legged, her breathing even as she meditated. Her cultivation was still sealed, but some of her internal damage had healed. Li Xuan had sensed a dormant power within her—a strange resonance with the moonlight and a fragmented bloodline that might be more than mere coincidence.

He sat opposite her in silent watch, eyes half-lidded as the System chimed once more:

> [System Notice: Spiritual Domain Approaching - "Skyfire Ridge"]

Status: No Hostile Forces Detected

Travel Time Remaining: 5 Days

They had crossed two provinces already, gliding over vast mountain ranges, winding rivers, and plains where roaming beast packs once ruled. The sky grew clearer the closer they came to the Central Region, but tension stirred beneath the peace.

Li Xuan could feel it. As though the land itself anticipated his return.

The ancient pulse of the Nine Heavens Moon Sect tugged at his soul like a compass drawing him home.

He rose, stepping out into the wind-drenched upper deck. As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting golden light across the clouds, he whispered:

"We're coming."

The Veiled Spirit Mountains lay ahead.

So did rebirth—and war.

The Nine Heavens Moon Sect had been gone for millennia.

And yet—its return had already shaken the foundations of the continent.

He narrowed his eyes toward the horizon, where the Central Region's peaks loomed like sleeping titans.

Let them search.

Let them rage.

Let them fear.

The Moon was rising again.

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